I’ve always loved history and archaeology. In a moment of personal insight, it came to me that perhaps one of the reasons I love photography is that it gives me a reason to poke around in the odd, lonely places I enjoy.

In this case, the lake I’ve been photographing is now at the lowest water level for years.

We aren’t in a drought of any sort. It’s in response to a great deal of flooding from Kansas through Oklahoma and Nebraska last year at this time. The Army Corps of Engineers is releasing more water than usual so if we receive a great amount of rain in the Autumn than the lake can help buffer the excess water.

In the past, the bald eagle nest came out of the water at the place on the trunk where the white turns to brown. All of the stumps are unseen so boating is not permitting in this area except at very slow speeds.

The lower water level not only creates a rather interesting landscape, but it’s been very interesting to note what the water has hidden. Obvious to the eye, but not readily apparent here due to my limitations of a photographer is that the area where I’m standing was once forested, but the tree with the eagle nest sat on a farm road. Although hard to note in the photograph, to the right of the tree are too long poles – not trees. One practice brought to this area by immigrating German farmers was the use of two tall poles in a fence line to mark a gate to enter a field.The tree now with an eagle nest is a surviving member of this country lane. A close look also shows that among the remains of the trees are the remains of the fence posts. In the distance, there is a group of trees which stood around a house now completely gone. The road to the house is also visible in the distance…

I don’t mention much about music and I’m primary a classical listener, but I have plenty of other music which I love. If this might be an interestto you, please check out on iTunes the newly remastered singing of Paul Robeson on EMI. The box is quite expensive, but you can mix-and-match for .99¢ each. The remastering makes his celebrating spirituals such as "Go Down, Moses," "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "Joshua fought the battle at Jerico," and the infinitely sad "Sometimes I feel like a motherless child" sound especially clear.

Up til now, however, I had never owned his rendition of my favorite American folk song "Shenandoah." I looped it all the way to the lake and back as I sang along.

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